BRYAN COUNTY. 125 



rival in Georgia he became a prominent man, for upon the 

 appointment of Mr. Reynolds as the royal governor, he was 

 commissioned by the King a Judge of the General Court' 

 This was a highly responsible office, and Mr. Bryan's ap- 

 pointment to it, is an evidence of the high stand he had so early 

 acquired. In addition to this office, he was appointed one of 

 the royal counsellors of the colony. As long as the Crown 

 respected the rights of the province, Mr. Bryan was disposed 

 to recognize its authority, but when these rights were violated 

 his independence would not suffer him to submit. According- 

 ly, when the friends of liberty convened in Savannah to give 

 expression to their feelings, although Mr. Bryan at this time 

 was 66 years old, he was placed upon the committee of cor- 

 respondence. Governor Wright learning the proceedings of 

 this meeting, called the Executive Council together, at which a 

 motion was made to expel Mr. Bryan from the Council, be- 

 cause he had allowed his name to appear on the above-named 

 committee. Mr. Bryan said, " that he would save them the 

 trouble," and handed his resignation to Governor Wright. 

 There is now in the possession of his family a silver vase pre- 

 sented to him with the following inscription : " To Jonathan 

 Bryan, who, for publicly appearing in favour of the rights and lib- 

 erties of the people, was expelled from His Majesty's Council of 

 this province. This piece of plate, as a mark of their esteem, is 

 presented by the Union Society of Georgia. Ita cuique eve- 

 niat de Republica meruit." The depredations committed on 

 the frontiers of Georgia, had awakened many apprehensions 

 in the minds of the friends of America, lest the cause for 

 which they were struggling might be injured in Georgia, unless 

 a sufficient force could be obtained to prevent their repetition. 

 Mr. Bryan exerted himself to remedy this very serious diffi- 

 culty, and repaired to Charleston and conferred with General 

 Lee on the subject. He succeeded in convincing the Gene- 

 ral how much would be gained by an expedition to Florida, and 

 it was determined to undertake it ; troops were sent to Savan- 

 nah, but the necessary arrangements for the expedition not 

 having been made, it was relinquished. At the commence 

 ment of the Revolution he was particularly active. He ha^ 

 been in the Council of Safety, the Convention, and State Con 

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